The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.

The Examination of Richard Woodman before the Bishop of Chi∣chester, Doctor Story, Doctor Cooke, and others.

Bishop,

What is your name? My name is Richard Woodman. Then said the Bishop, I am sory for you, you have been a man of good report and esteem in your Country till now of late; therefore, look to your self, your Wife and Children, and Friends, and be ruled, and think not your self wiser then all the Realm, but be informed, and you shall have their favour as much as ever you had.

Woodman,

My Life, my Wife and my Children, I love them, but they are all in Gods hands, and I have them as if I had them not.

Bishop,

* 1.1 The Sheriff told me, that you were desirous to spake with me.

Woodman,

I thought meet to appeal to you, because you have taken upon you to be the Physitian of our Country, for many unjust things are laid to my charge; and they seek my Blood, and I have appealed unto you, that if my blood be shed unrighteously it might be required at your hands.

Doctor Story,

Is not this a perverse Fellow, dost thou think thou shalt be put to death unjustly, and that thy Blood shall be required, no said he, and further added, that he could condemn a hundred such Hereticks, and threatned that he would help to rid him.

Then Woodman would have answered, but the Bishop desired them both to give him place.

Bishop,

Well, Neighbour Woodman, I call you Neighbour, because you are one of my Diocess, and you are sent to me, that I should give you spiri∣tual counsel, for I am your Spiritual Pastor, therefore hear what I say unto you.

Woodman,

First, I desire you to hear me a few words; you have said, you will give me Spiritual counsel, are you sure you have the Spirit of God?

Bishop,

No, I am not sure of that, I dare not be so bold to say so.

Woodman,

Then you are like the Waves of the Sea, Tossed about with every wind, and unstable in all your wayes, and can look for no good thing at the Lords hand, yea, you are neither hot nor cold, and therefore, God will spue you out of his Mouth.

Then in a fury Story said, What a perverse Fellow is this, he hath a Devil in him, and is mad; and the Bishop said, He is sent to me to learn, and taketh upon him to teach me.

Then Richard Woodman seeing their Blindness, and Blasphemy, it made such an impression upon him, that his heart was melted, and and his eyes gusht out with tears, and he spoke to them after this manner: The Jew's said to Christ, he had a Devil, and was mad, as you have here said to me, but I know the Servant is not above his Master, and God forbid that I should learn of him that confesseth he hath not the Spirit of God.

Bishop,

Why do you think that you have the Spirit of God, you boast more then ever Paul did, or any of the Apostles, the which is great pre∣sumption.

Woodman,

I boast not in my self, but in the Gift of God, as Paul did, who said, He verily believed that he had the Spirit of God, making there∣of no question, 1 Cor. 7.

Chichester,

It is not so, you bely the Text.

Woodman,

If it be not so, let me be burnt to morrow.

Story,

Thou shalt not be burnt too morrow, but I will promise thee thou shalt be burnt within six dayes.

Bishop,

If it be so, it's wrong Translated, as it is in a thousand places more

Woodman,

Take heed that you bely not the Translators; I believe they had the fear of God more before their Eyes, then you report of

them, but if that place be wrong translated, I can prove by places enough that Paul had the Spirit of God.

Bishop,

How prove you that?

Woodman,

No man can believe that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost, for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his; and again, we have not received the Spirit of Bondage to fear any more, but we have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father, the same Spirit certifieth us, that we are the Sons of God; also, John saith, he that believeth not that Christ is come in the Flesh, is an Anti-christ, and denieth both the Father and the Son; and he that believeth in God, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Story,

What an Heretick is this, why do you here him, send him to Pri∣son to his Fellows in the Marshalsea, and they shall be dspatcht within these twelve dayes.

Woodman,

When I heard him say so, I rejoyced greatly in my heart, desiring God, if it were his will to keep them in that mind; for I ex∣pected to have been sent to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house, or Lol∣lards Tower, but they sent me to the Marshalsea to my Brethren and old Prison-Fellows, whereby it pleased God that the burden I look∣ed for, was something eased; when they saw I rather rejoyced, then feared imprisonment, the Bishop said, My thinks he is not afraid of the Prison.

Woodman,

No, I praise the Living God.

Story,

He hath the right terms of an Heretick, the living God, &c. I pray you be there deads Gods, that you say the Living God?

Woodman,

Are you angry with me for speaking the words writ∣ten in the Bible?

Story,

Bibble Babble, what speakest thou of the Bible? there is no such word written in all the Bible.

Then said Woodman, I am much to blame, and brought several Scriptures to prove that there was a Living God, and dead Gods; for David said, My Soul hath a desire, and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God.

Story,

My Lord I will tell you how you shall know a Heretick by his words, that is, they will say (the Lord) and we praise God) and the (Living God) &c.

Woodman,

The Lords Name be praised from the rising of the Sun, until the going down of the same, also as many as fear the Lord, say alwayes, the Lord be praised.

Story,

My Lord this is an Old Heretick, send him to Prison, you will do no good on him, I will leave you and go to Church.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Q. Mary, An. 1557.